Spring sash balance with tape-locking means



Feb. 22, 1955 G. B. HAAS 2,702,402

SPRING SASH BALANCE WITH TAPE-LOCKING MEANS Filed March 3, 1952 BummerG/e Zfas ama wzwma United States Patent SPRING SASH BALANCE WITHTAPE-LOCKING lVIEANS Glenn B. Haas, Oak Harbor, Ohio, assignor to StarSash Balance Corporation, Oak Harbor, Ohio, a corporation of OhioApplication March 3, 1952, Serial No. 274,590

1 Claim. (Cl. 16-198) This invention relates to spring sash balancesand, in particular, to devices for holding the tape of a sash balance inan extended position.

One object of this invention is to provide a spring sash balance havinga tape which is provided with apertures at intervals along its lengthand a locking member which is movable into and out of a selectedaperture in order to hold the tape in an extended position against theretraction pressure exerted by the sash balance spring.

Another object is to provide a spring sash balance of the foregoingcharacter wherein the locking member consists of a bolt or plunger whichis movable into and out of engagement with the selected aperture forlocking the tape in its extended position.

Another object is to provide a spring sash balance of the foregoingcharacter wherein the locking member is mounted on the base of the sashbalance and is movable toward and away from the tape so as to beselectively pushed through an aperture in the tape or retracted out ofengagement with the tape, according to the will of the user.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentduring the course of the following description of the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation, partly in vertical section, of a springsash balance equipped with a tape-locking device, according to one formof the invention;

Figure 2 is an approximately horizontal section partly in top plan view,taken along the line 22 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an approximately vertical fragmentary section taken alongthe line 33 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the base plate of the sash balancecasing, showing the locking bolt guide portion therein; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the mounting plate of the sash balanceof Figure 1, showing the bolt handle slot and bolt and guide therein.

Hitherto, in the installation of spring sash balances in the windowframes of buildings, carpenters have found it inconvenient to hold thesteel tape of such balances in an extended position against the springpressure thereof while attaching the loop or eye at the end of the tapeto the window sash. This inconvenience arises from the fact that inorder to attach the tape to the window sash, a sufficient length of thetape must be extended from the sash balance to enable the carpenter toinsert his hand to manipulate his tools. Where a sufiicient length ofthe tape has been extended or withdrawn from the sash balance, however,the tension thereon resulting from the spring inside the sash balance isso great as to make it diflicult to hold the tape against the retractionforce of the spring.

The present invention solves these problems by providing the tape withapertures at spaced intervals along its length, together with a lockingmember or bolt which is movable into and out of registry with theapertures in the tape to hold the tape in its withdrawn or extendedposition.

Referring to the drawing in detail, Figure 1 shows a sash balance,generally designated 10, as applied to the opening 11 in the top member12 of a window frame, generally designated 13, the ends of the topmember 12 being seated in recesses or notches 14 in the window frameside members 15 (Figure 1). The sash balance 10 is connected 2,702,402Patented Feb. 22, 1955 anchored to the window frame top member 12. Thecasing of the sash balance 10 is in two parts, namely a box-like member22 and a closure 21 therefor. The part 22 has a side portion 23,straight end portions 24 and 25 and an arcuate top portion 26. Thecasing part 21 serves as a closure for the opening 27 in the side of thecasing part 22 and has a flange 28 directed at right angles to the sidewalls 29 thereof, the flange 28 being of the same outline as theopposite side 23 of the casing part 22 and adapted to fit the endportions 24, 25 and top 7 portion 26 snugly.

to a mounting plate 16 which is seated at one end 17 in Integral withthe closure member 21 and extending at right angles to the side wall 29thereof is a base plate 30 which has a notch or opening 31 in one endthereof for the passage of the steel tape 32 which is wound on thespring-pressed drum 33 of the spring sash balance 10. The drum 33 inturn is rotatably supported upon a tubular axle 34 having attachmenttabs 35 connected to its opposite ends and extending through arcuateslots 36 in the side walls 23 and 29. The spring (not shown) forretracting the tape 32 is connected at one end to the axle 34 and at itsopposite end to the drum 33 to constantly urge the drum 33 to rotate ina clockwise direction, so as to roll up the tape 32 on the drum 33. Theclosure member 21 is provided with transversely-projecting tabs 37(Figure 1) extending over the arcuate portion 26 of the box-like casingportion 22.

The base plate 30 which extends at right angles to the side walls 29 ofthe closure member 21 is provided adjacent the opening 31 with anelongated struck-up guide portion 38 having an elongated groove 39therein. The base plate 30 also has a square or rectangular aperture 39therein at the end remote from the aperture 31. The mounting plate 16 issecured to the base plate 30 of the closure member 21 by spot welding atthe points indicated by the crosses in Figure 2, with the mounting plate16 so positioned that an inclined struck-up tab 40 thereon extendsupward through the aperture 39 and a perpendicular tab 41 projectsupward at right angles to the plane of an opening 42 out of which it isstruck, and lies alongside the inner wall of the portion 24 of thecasing member 22. The tab 41 is provided with a hole 43 aligned with thegroove 39 when the base plate 30 and mounting plate 16 are properlysecured to one another, and the mounting plate 16 is additionallyprovided with an elongated slot 44 therethrough for the passage of thebolt handle, as subsequently described below.

Slidably mounted in the groove 39 is a bolt or locking member 45 havinga pointed tip 46 at one end and a bent portion 47 forming the bolthandle at its opposite end. The bolt 45 travels in the elongated groove39 in the struckup portion 38 on the base plate 30 and is guidedthereby, and its handle portion 47 projects outwardly through the slot44 so as to be accessible to the user. The steel tape 32 of the sashbalance 10 is provided at intervals with holes 48 through which the bolt45 may be passed, with its tapered tip likewise passing through the hole43 in the struckup tab 41 and also through a hole 49 in one of the walls24.

In the operation of the invention, the carpenter or other person whoinstalls the sash balance first mounts the sash balance in the opening11 in the usual way and secures it in position by means of the groove 19extending through the hole 18 in the mounting plate 16 into the windowframe top member 12, which is usually of wood. The carpenter or otherinstalling person then retracts the bolt 45 by pulling the bolt handle47 to the right hand end of the elongated groove 39, after which hepulls out the tape 32 to the desired length by means of the eye, loop orstirrup 50 which is connected by the strap 51 to the tape 32. He pullsout the tape 32 until the desired length protrudes from the aperture 42in the mounting plate 16 and at the same time pushes to the left on thebolt handle 47 so as to push the tip 46 of the bolt 45 against the tape32. He continues to pull the tape 32 outward until one of its holes48.comes into line with the bolt 45 whereupon he pushes the bolt 45through the tape hole 48 and guide hole 43. The tape 32 is thus held inits extended position against the spring tension on the drum 33 tendingto rotate it in a clockwise direction (Figure l).

The carpenter then raises the sliding sash of the window, if he has notalready done so, and attaches the stirrup 50' to the attachment membersecured thereto (not shown) in the usual Way. He then repeats theoperation for the sash balance 10 (not shown) atthe opposite end; ofthewindowframe top member 12. With both tapes thus attached to the slidingwindow sash, the workman then retracts the bolts 45 from the holes 49,43 and 48 by grasping the handles 41 andsliding them inward toward theinner end ofthe groove 39- in the struclt up portion 10 38, freeing thetapes 32 from engagement bythe'bolts 45 The spring- (not shown) withinthedr-unr 33 of each springsash balance 10 then comes into, action torotate the drum 33 so as to wind up the tape 32-, countet halancing theweight of the window sash as it is raised by a person'- opening' thewindow.

'What I claim is:

In a sash balance adapted to be mounted in an opening in one ofthe framemembers of-' a window frame, a casing containing a spring-wound tapedrum, an elongated flexible tape Wound on said drum and providedwithholes at spaced intervals therealong', said casing having anaper turetherein for the passage of said tape, a mounting plate structure securedto said casing adjacent said aperture and having an outlet therethroughfor said tape, said mounting plate structure having an attachmentportion thereon securable to said Window frame member adjacent saidopening with said attachment portion disposed partly within said openingand partly behind said window frame member, and amovable; locking membersecured to and slidably mounted on said mounting plate structure andslidable substantially parallel thereto into and out ofi penetratingengagement with one of said holes, said locking member having a'handlepo'rtion thereon disposed adjacent the exposed face of saidmounting plate structure.

References Cited in th 1 Of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 64,319Hubbellu Apr. 30, 1867 1,186,861 Sunde a June 13, 1916 1,254,647 BennettIan. 29., 191.8 2,582,405 Aucljzard Jan. 15, 1952

